Case Study: Molson Coors UK & Ireland Headquarters

The redevelopment of the former National Brewery Centre in Burton-upon-Trent into the new UK and Ireland headquarters for Molson Coors represents a landmark in heritage conservation and sustainable building services. The project, which transformed 10,300m² of historic brewery workshops into a state-of-the-art corporate hub for over 500 staff, was recently recognised as the Retrofit Project of the Year at the BESA Industry Awards 2025.

The success of the project hinged on the expertise of Mellor Bromley Mechanical Services, a firm with over 50 years of experience in high-standard commercial installations, and the design leadership of Anderson Green. Central to the building’s sustainable domestic hot water (DHW) strategy was the integration of high-specification equipment from Adveco, specifically the ATSi 500L calorifier and ATSB 500L buffer vessels.

The Project Brief and Heritage Context

The Molson Coors ‘National Brewery Centre’ (NBC) project involved a sensitive restoration of mid-19th-century Bass Brewery workshops. The architectural challenge, led by BHB Architects, was to preserve Victorian brickwork and oak-framed trusses while integrating contemporary, 21st-century building services.

Anderson Green was tasked with designing a mechanical system that could support diverse loads, including a double-height reception, a social atrium, extensive formal meeting rooms, a tap bar, and a significant staff catering facility. For the DHW provision, the design team required a robust, high-efficiency solution that could interface with modern Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) while meeting stringent consultant specifications for unvented, stainless steel storage.

The Engineering Challenge: Selecting the Right Solution

In early 2024, Anderson Green engaged Adveco to provide technical selections for three distinct domestic hot water cylinders to serve different blocks within the HQ. The specifications demanded unvented, factory-insulated stainless steel vessels capable of two-hour recovery times.

The selection process focused on two primary plant areas:

Block A Plantroom: Required a 500L indirect cylinder to interface with high-temperature ASHPs (80/70°C LTHW) to maintain a 65°C storage temperature.

Toilet Block: Required a standalone electric heating solution with a 500L capacity, also capable of a two-hour recovery for 65°C storage.

For these requirements, Adveco provided the ATSi 500 and ATSB 500 series, specifically configured with 6kW and 12kW immersion heaters, respectively, to ensure rapid recovery and system redundancy.

Technical Excellence: Adveco ATSi and ATSB

The Adveco ATSi 500L calorifier was selected for the Block A plantroom due to its high-grade stainless steel construction and superior insulation. Built to handle the demands of a high-occupancy office environment, the ATSi features a large-surface-area internal LTHW coil, making it ideal for the 80/70°C flow and return temperatures provided by the building’s high-temperature heat pumps.

For the toilet block, the ATSB 500L buffer vessel served as an electric-only heating solution. By utilising a 12kW immersion heater, the system achieved the required recovery rates without needing a primary boiler connection. This decentralised approach reduced the amount of dead-leg pipework and heat loss across the 110,000 sq.ft. workspace.

Compliance and Safety

Adveco provided a complete unvented kit for each vessel, ensuring full compliance with the consultant’s specifications. This included: combined temperature and pressure relief valves; pressure reducing and check valves for cold water feeds; expansion vessels and altitude/temperature gauges; and BMS sensor pockets and de-stratification pumps to prevent thermal layering and ensure Legionella control.

A Winning Collaboration

The installation by Mellor Bromley was a masterclass in modernising heritage structures. The team had to navigate the constraints of the Grade II-listed Joiners workshop and other historic elements while installing high-pressure, unvented systems. The inclusion of dielectric interface nipples for all non-copper connections and factory-fitted inspection ports demonstrated a commitment to long-term maintenance and durability.

The project team, including Clegg Food Projects, worked in close harmony to ensure the building met modern eco-friendly standards. Oliver Jenkins of Clegg Food Projects noted that the new HQ not only celebrates the brewing legacy of Burton-upon-Trent but also reflects a “commitment to the future” through its sustainable workplace design.

By choosing Adveco’s stainless steel storage solutions, Mellor Bromley and Anderson Green ensured that Molson Coors received a DHW system that was both highly efficient and perfectly suited to a low-carbon, ASHP-integrated future. Winning the BESA Retrofit Project of the Year 2025 solidifies this project as a benchmark for how historic British industry can be successfully repurposed for the modern era without compromising on sustainability or service excellence.

Please visit:

https://www.molsoncoors.com/

https://www.mellorbromley.co.uk/

https://adveco.co/